Sex Claim Priests Lose Holy Orders Bid

Big Pond News
April 27, 2012

http://bigpondnews.com/articles/National/2012/04/27/Sex_claim_priests_lose_holy_orders_bid_744163.html

Two Anglican priests have lost their challenge to moves to strip them of their holy orders after findings of sexual misconduct involving a teenage boy in 1984.

The suspended rector of Cardiff, the reverend Graeme Leslie Sturt, 60, and the retired dean of Newcastle, Graeme Russell Lawrence, 68, challenged moves to ban them from officiating or acting in any manner as priest and cease to have any rights attached to the position.

Justice John Sackar on Friday first rejected a claim the NSW Supreme Court could not adjudicate on their grievances and then went on to dismiss their claim.

The challenge related to findings and recommendations made in December 2010 by the Newcastle Diocese Professional Standards Board (PSB).

The judge said the issues involved whether the men were subjected to 'illegitimate, unfair, harsh and oppressive procedures' by virtue of the PSB proceedings and whether its recommendations ought or ought not stand.

He said the case was not about who was or was not telling the truth about the allegations of sexual misconduct.

The board found proven certain claims, including that of an incident with a teenage boy in a motel room during an Anglican seminar at Narrandera, in the state's south, in 1984.

Police investigated the allegations, which the priests denied, and did not lay charges.